Pneumatic tire.



FZ5, A/,

A. A. DENNIS.

PNEUMATIU' TIRE.

` Y APPLICATION FILED FEB.24, 1912. i 1,643,467. Patented Nov'. 5, 1912.

I 45 y v. a

\0l0ml \llllllll,

WTZVESSES UNTED @TATE PATENT ALFRED A. DENNIS, QF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. i

PNEUMATIC TIRE.

specification of Letters raient.

Patented um; a, ieie.

Application filed February 24:, 1912. \"Seria No. 6751,551.

\ well fits the pneumatic tire for automobiles,

will possess in more perfectdegree than has heretofore been attained, freedom from liability to. punctures and blow-outs, durability, and freedom from liability to skid, and possess in addition to these advantages others of perhaps less importance, but nevy ertheless of consequence.

T n the drawings-Figure 1 is aperspective view of a portion of a pneumatic tire embodying one form of my invention; Fig, 2 is a longitudinal section thereof; and Fig. 3 is a cross section showing a form of my invention adapted for application to pneumatic tires of ordinary form.

Briefly described, my invention compre- `hends as its salient feature, the provision of a tread or a bearing member in the form of a circumferential series of spaced blocks of suitable material (whether elastic yor inelastic is immaterial) which are individually attached to the outer circumferential elastic wall of the outertube or casing, so as to be capable of movement relative to each other when engaging and passing' an obstacle, in a direction circumferential of the tire as well as inward, so that the flexibility re quired to utilize the air cushion in the tire, is afforded. these blocks being of such thickness, radiallycf the wheel, as to remove the wall of the outer tube that is nearest the roadway in passing thereover sufficiently far from the latter as to be beyond the pene.

trating reach of such puncturing objects as are ordinarily encountered, and which might coincide with the 4traps or spaces between the blocks and. said thickness being* such that the formation of the outer wall of outer tube-is that of a chord, or chordi e. .M

The4 tire shown inl the drawings to ill-ustrate anA embodiment'of my invention, com

prises, as ia usual, an inner tube 10 and an outer tube or casing 11, but the outer wall 12 of the latter in cross section is a chord or 'chordlika and `attached thereto are the cir-4 cumferential series of tread-forming, or bearing blocks 13` each having an -inner chordlike face that fits the similar forma- 'i tion of the outer casing, and convex outer face corresponding to the curvature and of the same radius as the arc of curvature of the exterior of the outer casing so that the general external shape and appearance is similar to that of an'oi-dinary pneumatic tire; but, of course, the precise external configuration, or shape of the blocks 13 is im material and the form thereof may be varied. as may be found desirable or convenient. The blocks may be made solid, or cellular, and of rubber.y fiber, or any available material which will enable them to perform their intended function of constituting the fierible bearing. member of the tira-.which while amply protectingl the saine frompunctures and'blow outs, will efficiently utilize the air cushion.

The ends of adjacent blocks 13, especially f' when, the tire is infiatedpand t-h'e tube stretched, are separated by spaces or gaps,

and to provide a cover and protection at the' otherwise exposed outer surface of the outer tube, there are filling' pieces 14 in the form of transversely applied strips of tough rubthe outer tube and between opposite filling strips. l

1Where the blocks 13 are of a material apt to be cut or worn by the presence of parti-` cles of sand, etc. between their surfaces and the surfaces of the filling strips, the wearresisting plate 17 of sheet metal, shown in Fig. 2, may be employed and the filling strips made of metal. In Fig. 2 the filling strips and the blocks are shown as attached vto the outer Casin by rivets 18.

1t will be evi ent, that the separation l1@ of the blocks, and the presence of the corners at their ends, renders the tire nonskdding when the ablocks engage'the roadway; and. experience has shown thatl a much lower air pressure in the tire is required, than with the tire ot ordinary circularkform 1n cross where the blocks adjoin uthe outer-casing what, in effect,c is 4a hinge connection at each end of the blockextending in a straight lineptransverselyof the tire' and of consider- 'able ext-ent is produced, so that a'blockwhen A cally sustained `cushion having'elastlc side meeting with an obstacle that forces the block inward is capablev ot` a rockingV or oscillatin motion on 'axes that are trans-- verse of t 1e tire, but is restrained from any tendency-totwist or turnen an axis 'radial f to the wheel, and hence, the block iscapable .of having lonly movements'lthat are beneficial in", the cushioning action of the tire. The elastic nature of thel wall of the outerV casing tofwhich the. blocks are attached, is an important factor in securing satisfactory results with my invention because the amaterial intervening between the points of lattachment pf the blocksv 13, must be capable of elongation and contraction to render possiblev the described movement of the hlocks i to-that an 'important characteristic ,of my Stiv invention is the attachment of the blocks to an element or member of the-tire, within which the air is confined, that isy elastic.

,'The presence 0I" an inelastic body, or one capable 'of extension and contraction, be-

tween the blocks andthe volume of confined air in the tire prefsf'ents the existence of that liveliness or life which characterizes an elastic bodv, and hence, impairsthe cushv inning eiiciency of the tire.

My invention, .as shown 1n Fig. 3, is

lcapable of an. embodiment in a form .en- ,abling its application-to ordinary and pneumatic tire, in lwhich case it takes the charac' ter of a shoeand instead of. the form of 'outer casing shown in Fig. 1 being strictly hodirnent of my invention, in theform illustrated in Fig. 3, ordinary pneumatic Copies ,of this patent may be obtained for tires, even ify badly worn, may?, be made use of.

Having aus 'described my invention what r.

I claim ising whose outer periphery .1s chordlike in 1 A pneumatic tirehaving anoute'r casform, and-a circumferential series othlocls forming the bearing peripheryof the tire spaced apart and individually attached to the chordlike wall-jofasaid outercasing, and

having a lcorrespondingly shaped surface inl contact4 with suchiwajll, and. J'ill'ing pieces in the spaces hetweenadjacerit blocks attached to said outer-casingwall, said filling.

'pieces lapping past portions ot the blocks aty y 1 75 opposite side's'thereo,

2. A pneumaticj tire comprising pneumatiandperipheral walls, and a circumferential Yseries `ofindependent blocks onthe exterior of saidperipheral' wall and individually at# tached thereto','said'hlocks being "capable of movement independent of veach other and having an'extended bearingl upon said Wall .transversely of the'tire the peripheral vwall contiguous to the bloclis 'being flattened interiorly.

3. A pneumatic tire comprising a pncui matically sustained .cushion having elasticv side vand peripheral walls, and a circumferential series of independent 'blocks 'on the exterior of said peripheral wall, vand individually attached thereto7 said lolocks'v.-

blocks engage itv being flattened, both;Vv

interiorlyy and exteriorly, and; the v sides 'of the 'blocks toward the wall being similarly iiattened, and the edges of the blocksl toward the wall being straight and extending directly across the wall, whereat a transversely extending hinge-like connection exists betxven 'the block and the pe ripheral wall. l

4. A pneumatic tirev having an outer cas` ing whose sideand peripheral walls are of elastic material, the peripheral wall being iiattened interiorly', and a circumferential series of independent blocks individually attached to said peripheral wall.

ln. testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand. v

. ALFRED A. DENNIS.

l Witncsses's i HARVEY F. Woivnnunr, CHAs. J. WILLIAMSON.

ve cents each, by address-ing the Commissioner o1' Intent Washington, D. Q. v 

